


we'll be counting stars

by epoenine



Series: watch it burn [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Miscommunication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-02
Updated: 2014-03-02
Packaged: 2018-01-14 08:38:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1259986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epoenine/pseuds/epoenine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico doesn't get to answer, though, because Bianca is walking out of the bathroom, her hair piled on top of her head. She's wearing sweatpants and a dark blue sweatshirt, brushing past Nico on her way into the kitchen, and that's when his good morning goes to shit.</p><p>Their friend group is tightly knit and codependent, so he shouldn't be surprised. He's not, actually, there's not much room for surprise when shock is coursing through his veins, followed by the headache that slams into him, knocking all the air out of his chest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	we'll be counting stars

Just like every other kid at the age of fifteen, when you're figuring out how to navigate growing bodies and use hormones to your benefit, Nico had learned about soulbonding in school. They read books about it; teachers taught it like it was their favorite thing to teach.

Once you turn twenty-one, you're able to find your soulmate, the person you're destined to spend the rest of your life with. It's supposed to be a kind of fairy tale, the bonding of two souls with love that's stronger than anything else.

The first sign of finding your soulmate is a headache, which isn't the most romantic. The second is what they describe as a tug towards the person you were born to be with, the bond urging the two together so it can grow stronger. The third is unexplainable--feeling restless and unfocused and hearing white noise inside your head until you're near them.

It's way too hopeful because really, your chances of finding your soulmate out of billions of people are slim. With how many bonded pairs there are today, it's just better to take the risk and find love outside of the soulbonding kind.

Wine probably was not a good idea, on Hazel's part.

Nico dreads the morning. He was born at exactly 11:32 pm, they've still got an hour to go, but the wine is almost finished and Nico is halfway to drunk and already feeling sick.

Mostly, he thanks his father for the worry. Hades has bonded three times, finding love with other individuals somewhere in between. First, there was Bianca's and Nico's mother, and then Hazel's. Only death separated the bonds, and now he's with a woman named Persephone.

His sisters have found their soulmates, too. Only a little while ago, Bianca bonded with a girl named Zoe, who has honey colored hair and freckles that dot her skin like stars. Hazel bonded with Frank five weeks after her twenty-first birthday, and now they're both dating Leo, somehow making it work.

As you can see, the high tendency to find their soulmate runs in the family, along with being stubborn, which is why they're all sitting in the living room drinking cheap wine, even though Nico insisted he did not want a party.

Nico smiles, not being able to hold himself back no matter how terrible he feels. He looks at Hazel and her boyfriends, then at Bianca and her girlfriend, and only then does he think being in love might not be so terrible.

The thought dissipates as soon as his mind wanders to Percy, so stuck on believing what the books tell them and not being able to glance at Hazel without grimacing. If he ever found out that Nico was in love with him--beside the fact that it's _Nico_ in _love with him_ \--he wouldn't believe him, because in Percy's mind, only bonded love matters, and they're not bonded.

They're not bonded, and Nico doesn't know if he wants to leave off the inevitable afterthought of _yet_ , because tomorrow he'll be twenty-one, and Percy has been able to find his soulmate for four years now, but he hasn't.

And, yeah, Nico loves him. Admittedly, it's hard _not_ to fall in love with Percy Jackson. He's got this hero complex, like he'd risk his life just to save your kitten from the very top of the tree. Percy's tall and lean with dark hair and he's gorgeous, which is most definitely a factor.

The bottle of wine makes itself around the group again and Hazel groans about the lack of entertainment, stretched out across Frank's and Leo's laps. Bianca laughs, letting the wine go to her head as she kisses Zoe on the cheek, who blushes in response.

Nico curls up alone on the blue, lumpy armchair, looking at the couples with longing clear in his eyes. Leo notices and abruptly stands, almost knocking Hazel over as he plants a kiss on Nico's forehead, making Nico grin.

Still smiling, Nico lets his eyes slip shut, which draws a terrified gasp from a tipsy Hazel. "Nico!" she yells, her voice laced with joy. Her laugh echoes through the air as she continues, "You can't _sleep_ , it's your birthday."

"I'm _tired_ ," Nico retorts, his speech slurring. Wine makes him drowsy, he knew this was going to happen when he took his first sip.

"Aren't you excited?" Zoe asks, sitting to the left of Bianca. Her smile is soft, like she genuinely thinks being bonded is the best thing that's ever happened to her. Their legs are tangled together, Zoe's pale skin colliding with Bianca's darker complextion.

"I guess," Nico lies, and everyone in the room can see right through it. In truth, Nico is scared shitless. Tomorrow, he'll find out whether or not his soulmate is Percy. Whatever happens, the end result is going to be a disaster, he's sure of it.

They let him sink down in the armchair, readying himself for sleep. Only Hazel is now standing, suddenly sympathetic. She walks towards Nico, putting her arms around him as they hold each other in the small chair.

"I'll make you pancakes in the morning," she tries, brushing back his hair. He nods, thankful. She kisses him on the cheek, letting sleep take him for the night.

While the night is filled with anxiety and anticipation, the morning is filled with sickness and the smell of syrup.

Nico tossed and turned all night, waking up multiple times and not falling back asleep until hours later. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he sees that the chair across from him still holds Bianca and Zoe, while the couch harbors only Frank and Leo, curled around each other and tangled while Hazel moves around in the kitchen.

She's flipping pancakes. Nico can tell by the way he hears one land on the floor, followed by Hazel cursing under her breath.

After trudging to the doorway, he smiles sleepily at Hazel, who has managed to make a mess out of the kitchen. It's usually Nico who is the one to cook, or Frank, if they're really desperate. Leo isn't allowed in the kitchen at all. The last time he was, it ended in the fire alarm going off and everyone outside shivering in the cold.

"Good morning," Hazel murmurs, throwing a glance over her shoulder. Her eyes settle on Nico, and then on the four in the living room, who are beginning to wake up. "I managed not to burn them," she says, handing Nico a plate of lumpy, misshapen pancakes.

Nico grins, taking the plate and sitting down at the counter. Hazel watches him eat the first bite, an expectant look on her face.

"Good?" she asks, waiting for the enthusiastic nod Nico gives her. After hesitating, she goes on to ask, "Feeling any different?"

Nico doesn't get to answer, though, because Bianca is walking out of the bathroom, her hair piled on top of her head. She's wearing sweatpants and a dark blue sweatshirt, brushing past Nico on her way into the kitchen, and that's when his good morning goes to shit.

Their friend group is tightly knit and codependent, so he shouldn't be surprised. He's not, actually, there's not much room for surprise when shock is coursing through his veins, followed by the headache that slams into him, knocking all the air out of his chest.

Nico's staring at Bianca, at the sweatshirt she's wearing, mouth slightly parted. He's seen it before, just can't remember where. He turns to Hazel, eyes begging for an answer.

"Nico?" she questions, eyebrows knit together in concern. Nico stands, pushing his plate away. He's not hungry, appetite replaced by the pounding in his head. "Are you okay?"

Nico nods, a flat out lie, and asks, "Who's sweatshirt is that?" After the words leave his mouth in a broken voice, he's not sure he wants to know the answer.

Bianca pauses for a moment, raising an eyebrow. She continues getting the orange juice out of the fridge, shrugging while she says, "Jason's, probably," and Nico's heart starts to beat fast and hard, like it's urging him to walk out the door.

Nico takes a deep breath, walks to his room, and puts on clothes with shaky hands. On his way out the door, Hazel asks what he's doing, and Nico can only shake his head, not trusting his voice.

Outside in the fresh air, his head begins to clear, and Nico can feel hysterical laughter bubbling up his throat. It's not surprising, not at all, really. Percy isn't his soulmate, and he doesn't know if he should be disappointed or relieved.

The tug in his heart is more prominent now, leading him wherever he's meant to go. Nico pushes past people on the sidewalk, muttering apologies as he goes along, ending up in front of a vaguely familiar apartment building. The sun beats down and he's breathing hard, now, climbing up two flights of stairs until he's standing in front of a door, cheeks flushed and eyes bright.

Without thinking, Nico knocks. He can hear blood rushing in his ears and it drowns out the muffled profanity coming from inside the door, along with the small thud.

The door swings open, a groggy Jason answering it.

He looks at Nico, rubbing his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he says, "I'm either really hungover, or..." he trails off. Then, like he's just figured out what's going on, he says, " _Oh_."

"Hi," says Nico, his voice small.

The pull urges them together, so the bond can strengthen. Instead, Nico steps back.

"I'm sorry," is all that Nico can say when the headache slams into both of them. There's all this white noise in his head and his heart just aches.

"Shit," Jason breathes, leaning against the doorframe. He closes his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I didn't know it would be like this." After standing in silence for a few moments, Jason gives in. "Do you want to come in?"

Nico nods, the movement small and quick. He follows Jason inside his apartment, looking around. There's a bookshelf to his right, holding everything from a young adult novel to a book about what dreams mean.

The walls are painted, something Piper did last year. She decided his apartment needed some color, and now there's a soft, light blue on almost every wall.

Sitting down on the couch, Nico feels out of place. His hands are still shaking, and he feels like he can't breathe. Jason joins him soon, two mismatching cups of coffee in his hands. He hands one to Nico, and when he takes a drink, he's surprised to find it just the way he likes it.

"So," Jason prompts, his voice cautious. He's to the right of Nico, sitting in the middle of the couch cushion like he doesn't know if he's allowed to be this close but he doesn't want to move farther away, either. "The books didn't really prepare me for this situation," he explains.

"Hazel said the headache lasts for about a while," Nico begins, tone factual. "The restlessness stays until the bond has brought the two as close--What?" he asks, because Jason is giving him a look, like he's amused.

"I mean the feeling," Jason starts, a soft smile on his face. Nico's confused, and it must show on his face, because Jason continues. "I didn't know it would be this intense," he says, still smiling. Nico doesn't get it, because all he's gotten out of this feeling is sickness and headaches and unexplainable white noise inside of his head that gets louder whenever he leaves Jason's side. Again, Jason tries to explain, his voice gone quiet, "Falling in love."

Nico doesn't want to have this conversation now, probably not ever. He visibly stiffens beside Jason, and he must notice, because Jason's muscles go tense.

"Sorry," Jason's quick to say, covering up his words. "I don't know, I just--"

"You don't have to apologize," Nico interrupts. He reaches out, setting a hand on Jason's arm, trying to be reassuring. All it does is make Nico want to kiss Jason, climb onto his lap and kiss him for hours, know every detail of his lips and his mouth--he stops there, fingers tightening in the fabric before he drops his hand.

Jason looks away, taking a drink out of his coffee. Nico does the same, and they sit in silence for a minute, watch the sun come up over the apartment buildings that can be seen through the window.

In a quiet, small voice, Nico asks, almost dreading the answer, "What's supposed to happen after this?"

Jason hesitates before saying, "I don't know." He sighs,leaning back on the couch, and looks over at Nico. "I picked up an extra shift at the Argo II," he explains. "They needed another waiter for today and I didn't plan on this happening. I can cancel."

"No, it's fine, I better--Hazel's waiting for me anyway," Nico replies, standing and making his way towards the door. Jason follows, catching Nico by the wrist before the door can open.

Jason steps forward, close enough that he could count Nico's eyelashes, if he wanted to. "Is this okay?" he asks, voice gone quiet. Nico nods, slightly, feeling Jason's breath against his lips. Ducking his head, Jason inches forward, and then they're kissing.

It comes as swift as panic, but Nico feels elated; there's a swelling in his chest and it only grows when Jason lifts his hands, curling one into Nico's hair and placing the other on the base of Nico's neck. All Nico can do is clutch at Jason's shirt, keep himself upright, and kiss back.

Jason's tongue sweeps over Nico's bottom lip, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Jason tastes like coffee and a little bit like spearmint and it's so, so good. And then Jason is pulling away, both of them breathless.

Nico knows that his eyes are wide, knows that his mouth is slightly parted. Jason smiles down at him, shoulder leaning against the doorframe. "We'll figure things out later, okay?" Jason says, his voice sure.

Just barely, Nico nods, and then he's opening the door and walking away, not looking back.

*

Painkillers don't help.

Nico learns that waking up on the third day. He took the strongest dose, but he can still feel the headache right when he opens his eyes. He can hear Hazel out in the kitchen, humming a song he doesn't know very well.

He pulls himself out of bed, rubbing his eyes, still feeling exhausted. Out in the kitchen, Hazel gives him a sympathetic look. She brings him a cup of tea, joining him on the couch, her soft voice asking, "Ready to talk about it?"

"It's not Percy," Nico blurts, staring at a spot on the floor. He takes a drink of his tea, pausing. "I don't know what I expected, really." He's quiet for a few moments before he says, "I don't want to see anyone today."

"Are you sure? You didn't see anyone yesterday, either, and you slept through most of it. Everyone's worrying about you." Hazel sighs, softening her voice. "Who is it?"

"It's Jason," Nico answers, voice cracking only once.

"Don't make him suffer just because you're not ready to deal with what's going on. It's not fair to him. At least figure this out together, okay? That's what he's there for."

Nico nods, knowing that Hazel's right. He changes the subject, asking, "Where's everyone else?"

"Bianca took Zoe out to lunch," Hazel explains. "Frank and Leo are still sleeping. I can order takeout, if you want."

Nico nods his head, suggesting, "We could watch movies." Hazel smiles, brushing a kiss to Nico's temple before walking past him, picking up the phone.

Unfortunately, hours pass and Nico feels only slightly better. He excuses himself, figuring it's time to put on something that's not pajamas. Hazel lets him go, but only because she can see his hands aren't shaking as much.

Nico pulls on clean jeans and a faded shirt, hands stilling when he hears voices.

"Is there something you need?" That's Hazel's voice; soft, sweet, and slightly concerned.

"Is he okay?" Nico's heart jumps. It's Jason, obviously, and his voice sounds broken.

"Of course he's okay," Hazel answers calmly. "Just a little shaken, that's all. Which can be expected, given the situation."

"Can I see him? Please, Hazel, I need to see him," Jason says. He sounds out of breath, like he ran the whole way here.

The pull, being too strong to fight off, makes Nico step out of the hallway, letting out a strangled sound. Hazel smiles at him apologetically, while Jason stares, gaping.

The silence only lasts for a moment before Hazel exhales, then says, "I'll leave you two alone, then? I have to go pick up more milk, anyway. By the way, Jason, you look like death, help yourself to some tea." In seconds she's grabbed her car keys and slipped on her shoes, walking out the door while the two are at a loss for words.

Nico stands for a few moment, blinking silently at Jason before turning, walking into the kitchen. He runs his hand through his hair once, seeing Jason has followed him.

"Are you alright?" Jason asks him, voice cracking a little. Weariness sets at the corner of his eyes and mouth; he's shaking, but only just. Nico looks him over, from the scuffed shoes to his messy hair, and sighs.

"I should be asking you the same thing," Nico returns. "She's right, you know. You look exhausted."

"I had a long day," explains Jason. "It didn't help that I barely got any sleep last night, either." He pauses, wondering if he should go on. "I don't know. It's better, now that I'm here with you, but before, it was..." He trails off and Nico finds himself nodding, stepping forward and pulling Jason into his arms.

Jason fits his head against Nico's shoulder, body sagging against him with relief, almost all the tension gone. Slowly, Jason pulls away, looking at Nico with a sort of reverence.

"Hazel will be here soon, if you want to stay for dinner, or--" Nico starts, though Jason is quick to interrupt.

"No, I wanted to ask," Jason begins, "My mother wants to meet us tomorrow for lunch. If that's okay," he adds hastily.

"Yeah," Nico answers, cautiously. He nods hesitantly, repeating, "Yeah, that's fine. Just text me where we're supposed to meet." Nico leads Jason to the door. The pulls is hard to fight off; he wants to be in Jason's arms again, so the white noise is gone and he can think clearly.

Miraculously, Hazel opens the door, breaking the tension between them with her smile.

*

Nico finds himself sitting next to Jason in an expensive restaurant, anxiety swelling in his chest.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Jason's mother says, like three days was a long wait.

Nico replies, "Thank you, Mrs.--"

"No, no. You're bonded with my son, call me Michelle. I can't have my potential son-in-law calling me Mrs." Michelle pauses, pursing her lips. "Speaking of, I was wondering, Jason, when you were going to pick a date for the wedding."

Nico freezes. "Wedding?" Jason blurts. "Mom, we were bonded three days ago, isn't that a little soon?"

"You're soulmates, dear, it's ill advised to wait." Jason doesn't reply, so Michelle scoffs. "Fine, then. When were you thinking of buying a house?" She picks at her salad. "You shouldn't spend time apart, especially this early into the bond."

"I don't exactly have the money to buy a house right now," Jason answers. "And my apartment is cramped as it is. So is Nico's. We're just going to have to wait."

"You can't put it off forever, you know," Michelle responds, checking her phone. "Your father wanted to come, he's sorry he couldn't. He had a business meeting, or something. He'll be here next time, I'm sure."

"Thanks for the lunch," says Jason, though his tone sounds anything but thankful. "I have to work, so we have to get going."

"I'll call you soon," Michelle says, though Jason knows it's a lie. She takes a sip of her wine while Jason and Nico stand to leave.

It takes minutes for the panic to set in. Nico can feel it crawling up his throat, making him want to leave and never look back. Jason is silent on the way back to Hazel's, tense in the way that only his close friends would notice.

Stopping at his door, Nico gulps in air, gasping, "Sorry," before walking inside, closing the door behind him. Bianca is the first to notice him, furrowing her eyebrows and coming to him immediately. She runs her fingers through his hair, trying to calm him down.

"What's wrong?" Hazel asks, standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Nico shakes his head, still trying to breathe deeply.

"It's okay, Nico, everything's fine," Bianca says, mumbling nonsense into Nico's ears as he tries to push the panic away. His hands stop shaking and his head feels foggy but he's calm, and that's when he starts talking.

"Jason's mom wanted to have lunch," Nico explains, curled up on the couch under a blanket. Leo and Frank stand at the end of the couch with Zoe, concerned looks on their faces. Bianca sits by Nico, brushing the hair out of his eyes while Hazel listens carefully. "She asked when we were going to pick a date for the wedding and when we were going to buy a house and--I don't know, it just overwhelmed me. It was too much."

Hazel sighs, saying, "What did you expect? You're soulmates, you were made for each other. Why wait on the marriage?" Her voice is sympathetic, soothing in a way that only Hazel can.

"It's your choice, though. You can wait if you want," Bianca supplies. "It's just that there's not really a reason to, because you're soulmates." Nico nods, closing his eyes for a few moments.

"Are you alright?" Hazel asks, still concerned. Nico nods, lying, and excuses himself to his room for the rest of the day. He tries to read, ending up over thinking all of this and ignoring Jason's phone calls.

Voices wake him up with a start. Nico only has a couple of seconds to wonder if he fell asleep reading before he matches the voices with the speakers.

Jason's voice is mostly panicked, but it's still loud. Hazel's angry; she can be vicious when she needs to be. After more yelling, the door slams shut. In seconds Hazel is opening Nico's door, where she lies in bed with him, brushing back his hair and murmuring reassurances into his ear.

After she knows Nico won't get panicked, Hazel sits up, saying, "Come on. We'll go watch the Harry Potter movies in the living room and forget about all of this. Okay?" Nico nods, following Hazel with blankets wrapped around his shoulders.

Time passes slowly, especially during the last two movies. Nico doesn't focus on them, only has Hades on his mind. He should call him, trying to make sense of what's happening. The thing is, he doesn't remember the last time he's talked to his father. It must've been before Persephone, maybe after his mom died.

Hazel kisses his cheek, walking into the kitchen, saying something about getting more popcorn. Nico uses that time to get out his phone, stepping into his room.

" _Hello? Nico?_ " he says, muffled by static. " _Is there something you need?_ " Nico hesitates before answering.

"Yeah, my birthday was a few days ago," Nico explains. "My twenty-first."

" _And?_ " comes the response.

"I've, uh--I've found my soulmate. His name is Jason," Nico states, voice slightly shaking. "I don't really know what to do, dad. I didn't ask to be bonded. His mom was talking about marriage and I don't--I don't know what to do."

" _Nico_ ," Hades sighs, suddenly sympathetic. " _It's fine if you're unsure right now, but you are made for each other, you know. As for the marriage, well, Hazel isn't married, and it seems to be working out fine, especially with that other boy._ " Nico can feel the wave of relief wash over him.

Nico stays quiet, trying to think of something to say. "Do you want to meet him?" he asks in a strained voice. "We could have dinner tomorrow. I don't think he's working."

" _Tomorrow's fine,_ " Hades replies. " _I take it you don't want Persephone there?_ "

"Not this time," Nico answers. "Thank you," he says. And really, Hades has never been much of a father, so Nico isn't surprised when the line goes dead after that.

Without saying goodnight, Nico walks to his room, pulling the blankets up over his head and not bothering to check the voicemails from Jason.

*

Nico wakes up to an empty house. He figures the other must be out to lunch, not wanting to wake Nico up so he can join them. Sunlight shines through the window; Nico guesses it's probably a few hours after noon. He rubs his eyes, pulling himself out of bed and puts on clean clothes before trudging to the bathroom, brushing his teeth, still half asleep.

Faintly, he hears a knock on the door. Swallowing down panic, Nico goes to open it, not surprised when he sees Jason.

"I'm sorry," is the first thing Nico says to him. Then, "I think the talk of marriage just scared me a little, I don't know why."

"You couldn't have called me back?" Jason asks, only a little hurt. "You're allowed to freak out, you know. Just--maybe tell me so I don't keep myself up half the night worrying about you?" He looks exhausted, almost worn down.

"Okay," Nico finds himself answering easily, without thinking; his first instinct is to trust Jason. "I called my dad yesterday. Do you want to meet him for dinner tonight? I don't know, I just--"

"Yeah," Jason says, his voice strained. A small smile plays at his lips. "I'll come to dinner with you and your dad. On one condition." He grins, making Nico's heart jump in his chest. "Let me take you to lunch. Just us."

Nico waits, thinking it over. "Okay," he answers, because he doesn't want to make Jason stop smiling. His answer makes the grin widen, which makes Nico reach out and lace their fingers together, on a whim.

"Okay," Jason repeats. He leads the way to the Argo II, the restaurant he works at. The walk is silent and Jason is still grinning, which does things to Nico's head, as well as his heart.

Lunch passes by quickly, surprisingly. They talk about everything but the bond. Jason talks about his student teaching and Nico swears he'll start school next semester. Nico learns that Jason is great with kids and he has a scar on his upper lip from when he tried to eat a stapler. They talk about Nico's dad and what his mom was like and how things are now.

Jason walks Nico home, which is, admittedly, nice. The air is warm and people aren't rude to them when Nico grabs Jason's hand. The Argo II is only minutes from where Nico lives, so when they end up outside of the apartment building, Jason says, "I'll pick you up at seven? I hope the fancy resturant your dad chose isn't far from here because I don't have a car, which means we're walking."

Nico grins, waving as he lets himself into the building. Hazel is there, humming in the kitchen with Frank. It looks like they're just finishing up lunch.

"Where have you been?" Hazel asks, smiling when she sees him.

"I went to lunch with Jason," Nico explains, not bothering to fight the smile that's taking over his face. "And I talked to dad last night."

"What did he say?" Hazel asks, trying not to sound too upset. She hasn't spoke to him in a long time, either.

"I'm having dinner with him tonight. Jason's coming, too," he says. "I know you don't think he agrees with your decisions, but he didn't seem all that reluctant to admit to me that he thinks it's working with you, Frank, and Leo. When you're ready, you should call him."

Nico leaves for the bathroom, taking a long shower, which takes up the rest of his afternoon. As soon as he pulls on a clean shirt and a pair of jeans, Jason is knocking at the door.

"Hi," Nico breathes, smiling. "Ready?" Jason's wearing a simple shirt, the same color as his eyes. Nico tries not to notice too much.

"As ready as I'll ever be," replies Jason, reaching out for Nico's hand. Nico lets him take it, waving goodbye to Hazel over his shoulder.

Halfway into their walk, Nico explains, "This is the first time I'm seeing my dad in a couple of years, so it might be a little--"

"Hey," Jason says softly, interrupting the flow of panicked words. "It'll be okay. I promise."

He holds the door open for Nico, letting him go inside the restaurant first. It's an expensive one, everything looking overpriced and elegant. They're probably a little underdressed.

Nico finds his dad immediately, sitting at a table in the back. The hostess leads them over to him, smiling like this is the best job she's ever had.

"A waiter will be with you shortly," she says, nodding towards them. Nico hesitates before locking eyes with Hades.

"Dad," he says. "This is Jason. He's my soulmate." The words taste unfamiliar in his mouth, though Jason squeezes his hand, showing his support. Nico looks at Jason saying, "This is Hades, my father."

"It's nice to meet you," Hades announces. "Nico's told me about you. We don't need to make this a long event. I've had a house bought for you since you turned twenty, for this reason exactly."

"Thank you," Jason says, the grip on Nico's hand tight.

"I expect wedding invitations for both me and Persephone, Nico," Hades says, his tone firm. Nico nods, not trusting his voice. "Then there we go," he states, pulling keys out of his pocket. He puts them in Nico's hand, saying, "We're done here."

Jason stands, his hand still clasped around Nico's. "Thank you, again," he says before leaving, not seeming fazed by Hades's tone.

The night air is still warm and lamps light the sidewalk. Jason smiles, looking over at Nico. "We could move in Friday," he says. "I don't have work then."

They're standing outside of Nico's apartment building, still clasping hands.

"Yeah, sure," Nico finds himself saying, because he doesn't want Jason's smile to go away. "Hazel's probably waiting up for me." The smile dims, though it's still there. Nico pulls his hand away, stepping back.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then?" Jason asks, trying to keep the hope out of his voice.

"I don't know, I'll be packing. Knowing Hazel, she's going to make an event out of it," Nico replies. Jason nods, swallowing hard. "Goodnight, Jason."

On a whim, Jason leans forward, brushing a kiss against Nico's forehead. "Goodnight," he returns, turning around and walking home without looking back.

Inside, Nico learns that he's right. Hazel is sitting on the couch between Frank and Leo, who are both asleep. She sees him coming in and gets up, trying not to wake the others.

"How was it?" she asks, her voice quiet.

"It was fine," Nico answers, hesitating before he goes on. "We didn't even eat. He just gave me keys to a house and said he wanted wedding invitations for himself and Persephone. I'm moving in with Jason tomorrow, actually."

"Really?" Hazel asks, her voice growing louder as she grins.  She winces, quieting herself as she says, "That's great, Nico. I'm happy for you. I told you being bonded wouldn't be so bad."

"Yeah, feeling like I want to die seventy-five percent of the time is great," Nico retorts. "Sorry," he apologizes, his tone softer. "I'll just go to bed--"

"What about dinner?" Hazel asks, eyebrows furrowed with concern.

"I'm not hungry," replies Nico, walking back to his room.

He can hear Hazel moving around in the living room, turning off the lights and waking up the two boys, and Nico tries to find sleep with all of that white noise in his head.

*

It takes the six of them just under four hours to get everything sorted out and packed into boxes. Hazel and Bianca talk the whole time, bringing up stories of when they lived with their dad.

The drive over to the new house isn't long, since it's not far from Hazel's apartment. Inside, the air is hot, thick and humid from years of not living in it. The kitchen is a good size, according to Hazel, as well as the living room. Jason's bed, big enough for two, is sitting in the back bedroom, along with dressers full of their clothes. In the bathroom, his things are mixed with Nico's and the thought makes the urge to be closer to Jason much greater.

Hazel has just left, promising to call soon, and Jason is moving around in the kitchen, trying to find something to make dinner with. He hums, just like Hazel, though his is out of tune.

Everything is out of order, Nico notices. It's all in different places. The book shelf that holds Jason's books is to the left of the couch, while Nico's are in the spare room, along with a desk and a chair. His clothes are stacked neatly in an unfamiliar dresser while the silverware are not the ones he uses at home. He has to keep reminding himself that this is his home, and now anxiety is crawling up his throat. He has to not be here, he has to _leave_ \--

"Are you okay?" Jason asks, arching an eyebrow. He sounds so concerned and it makes Nico's heart skip a beat which is--it's confusing, right now, in the midst of a panic attack.

Nico nods, gasping in air as he heads to the bathroom. In there, he splashes cold water on his face, telling himself that it's not a big deal. The shaking in his hands go away within a couple of minutes, and a knock tells him that Jason is right outside the door.

"Nico, tell me what's going on, please," he says, with the same sincere voice and Nico steps out, wrapping his arms around Jason.

"I'm sorry," Nico says as soon as he lets go. Jason moves to tell him it's okay, that it's fine, but Nico interrupts him. "I think I'm just going to go to sleep."

"As long as you're alright," Jason replies, eyebrows furrowed together. He lets Nico escape to their bedroom, turning the lights off and climbing into the cold bed.

Nico is fully aware of the pull in his heart that makes him want to go back out there, throw himself into Jason's arms again, but he doesn't. Instead, he lets sleep take him.

Morning comes, a reassurance that everything starts over. Nico wakes up in Jason's arms, which isn't unpleasant. The awkwardness that was there before is gone now as Jason leans down, brushing his lips over Nico's forehead.

Jason makes eggs for them both, even though it's close to lunch. When he says he has to work, his voice sounds almost reluctant.

"I can call in sick," he tells Nico as he puts the dishes in their dishwasher. "I'm sure they won't mind."

"It's okay, I'll find something to do," Nico replies. "You better get going, if you don't leave now, you'll be late."

With that, and another kiss, though this one is one Nico's cheek, Jason leaves, saying that he'll see him for dinner.

Nico unpacks the rest of the boxes, takes a shower, and gets halfway through _The Aeneid_ before he gets a text from Jason, telling him that Reyna invited them over with the rest of their friends, it's probably a party, and there'll most likely be beer.

Without overthinking it--using a technique Hazel helped him learn--he waits for Jason to come home, sitting on the couch and looking frantic.

"What's wrong?" is the first thing Jason says, toeing off his shoes.

"Nothing," Nico says, quickly. He gets himself together before asking, "Are we going to that thing tonight?"

"I guess, I mean, I don't see why not," replies Jason. "Only if you're okay with it."

In the end, they end up going. Reyna's apartment is full of people they haven't seen in a while. Jason reaches for Nico's hand like it's the easiest thing in the world.

"Where the fuck have you been, Grace, under a rock? I see you maybe once a month," Reyna says, staring at Jason. Her eyes drop to their hands clasped together, and then she smirks. "You two? I would've never guessed that." She takes a sip out of her cup, not even wincing as she swallows. "Piper turned twenty-one a while ago," she explains, glancing over at the door. "We're not bonded, but we make it work." Her smirk turns into a smile, and all Nico can do is feel happy for them.

"How is she? I haven't seen her since college," Jason says, not noticing when Nico glances over at Percy. Thankfully, Percy doesn't notice either, not until Reyna raises her voice.

She grinning over the top of her cup, Reyna answers, "Piper's fine, she's great."

And it's probably not a coincidence that the door opens just then, Piper walking in with a girl trailing behind her. Piper grins, setting down her bags.

"This is Annabeth," Piper says, looking towards the blonde next to her. Percy looks up, eyes locking with the girl named Annabeth, and that's when the entire night goes to shit.

It's disgustingly romantic. Percy steps forward, his mouth open a little like all the breath has been punched out of him. Annabeth strides towards him, reaching out and clasping his hand. They're smiling and looking into each other's eyes and Nico thinks he might be sick.

Jason is staring at Nico, a concerned look on his face. Nico thinks he must look like he's drowning. Turning back to Reyna, Jason says, "This has been really fun, but we've got a lot of stuff to unpack at home," which is a lie, Jason had seen all of the unpacked boxes, he knows that Nico did it himself while Jason was working, and that just makes anxiety swell in Nico's chest.

During that time, Jason has pulled Nico out the door, and the rest of the walk home is blurry. Before Nico knows it, he's standing in their very big house that they share together. All of the lights are off and it looks unbearably lonely.

Jason, noticing how bad Nico's hands are shaking, wraps his arm around Nico's waist and murmurs, "Let's get you to bed." He leads Nico to the bedroom, still holding onto him.

"I'm not made of glass," Nico retorts, though his voice sounds exhausted, almost broken. Jason purses his lips, looking at Nico like he's trying to figure him out. Nico shifts under his gaze.

Like he's decided on something, Jason moves forward with confidence. His hands come to Nico's shoulders, guiding him towards the bed as he helps Nico lie down. "You're exhausted, Nico, sleep," he says, and Nico closes his eyes, almost falling asleep instantly.

In the morning, Nico wakes up in Jason's arms. There's a crease in Jason's forehead, and he gets out of bed almost immediately, murmuring something about coffee. Nico follows him out to the kitchen, hands shaking only slightly.

They're quiet for a few moments, until Jason breaks the silence with, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Nico runs a hand over his face, hesitating. Letting out a breath, Nico starts, "I thought it'd be easier, since I'm bonded. I thought it would take some of the heartbreak away. But it doesn't, even though I know it's not--" His voice breaks and Jason fights the urge to reach out to him. "Even though I know it's not real, or it wasn't meant to be, or whatever other bullshit they throw in our faces when someone mentions falling in love without being bonded."

Jason purses his lips, looking at Nico with a sort of sympathy. "It's not something you had to keep from me, you know, besides the fact that I figured it out a while ago. Putting aside all the soulmate stuff, I'm still your friend. You can trust me."

"Okay," Nico breathes, hands shaking even more.

"I can help," Jason says, and Nico really, really wants to believe him. He's never been one for trusting people, never been one to face his fears when the act of running away was always much more desirable. Nico stays silent, staring at the shiny wooden floor until Jason says, "I've got another shift today. Lunch until rush hour, I won't be home until late. I should probably take a shower, too. You'll be alright?"

Nico nods and then Jason's gone, walking into the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, Nico escapes to the spare bedroom, starting on the first book on the shelf. The rest of the day is spent in there, flipping pages and getting a kink in his neck. Much, much later, he hears Jason getting home, flipping off the lights and shutting their bedroom door.

Only then does Nico comes out, lying down on the couch with one of the pillows from Hazel's and falls asleep there, exhausted.

When he wakes up, the sun is shining in his face and there's a blanket over his shoulders, which means Jason was already up and he took care of him. Panic surges through Nico and he gets up, shakily walking back to the spare bedroom with the books. He glances at the clock on his way, noticing that it's hours after noon, and guesses that Jason is at work.

Nico stays in the bedroom for a second day, and Jason doesn't bother him at all.

*

With a start, Nico wakes up to someone knocking at the door. He must have fell asleep in the chair, and that's why his back fucking hurts and the rest of him feels like shit. He groggily moves to answer the door, feeling a surge of panic before he realizes this is their house, Jason wouldn't knock.

"Hi," comes the soft voice once Nico opens the door. "Do you have a minute?" It's Persephone, and that's unusual, because they're not really on friendly terms.

"Yeah, I guess so," Nico answers, moving so Persephone can come inside. She's young, much younger than his mom was when she was bonded with Hades, and she wears a small smile that suggests she's a lot more nice than Nico makes her out to be.

Nico leads her to the couch, where both of them sit down, trying to make this less uncomfortable. "I'd offer you something, but there's nothing here. I forgot to go grocery shopping."

"It's fine," Persephone replies, brushing her dark hair behind her ear. "I wanted to ask you how the bond was going, actually."

Nico wants to tell her the truth, he wants to tell her everything that has happened up until now. Instead, he says, "It's going okay," but that makes Persephone furrow her eyebrows, frowning at him.

"You don't have to lie," she tells him. "I didn't want to be bonded either, you know. I didn't want anything to do with the bond, but here I am. You get used to it after a while." Persephone has a box with her, one that is small enough to fit in her hand. "Hades and I wanted to give you this."

Nico takes it from her, looking up, ready to thank her before she shakes her head. He continues, opening it, and his breath catches momentarily in his throat.

It's two engagement rings.

"You can wait until you're ready, of course," Persephone says quickly. "God knows I wasn't."

Nico swallows, hard, looking at the ground. "I can't take this. Not--" he breaks off, feeling helpless. "Not right now." Persephone nods, understanding.

"I know it feels like you can't," Persephone starts, "but you can, and Hades isn't going to let you keep putting this off forever. Neither will Jason's mother, by the looks of it. You can't run away from this, Nico."

He sags against the couch, giving up. Persephone purses her lips, looking incredibly sympathetic. She sighs, brushing her hair behind her ear again.

"I should get going, Hades will let the house burn down in flames if I'm not there to keep everything under control," Persephone starts. She pauses at the door, Nico right behind her. "I was like you, once. There was no way I was going to face being bonded to a man who had already been bonded twice before. I was scared, but then I learned to accept what had happened, and I fell in love with him." She smiles, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Don't be scared like I was, especially when you know everything will figure itself out in the end."

With that, she leaves, and Nico is left standing in the middle of the living room. He doesn't know how much time passes while he blinks blankly at the wall, but soon enough Jason is coming through the door.

"Oh my god," is the first thing Jason says to him. "You look like you haven't eaten in two days, Nico, are you okay?" He sounds panicked--Nico can recognize that tone. "I'll try to find something for dinner, please go take a shower, it'll help. We'll talk about this later."

Nico nods numbly, being too exhausted to argue, and trudged down the hall. He washes himself with Jason's soap, letting the water warm his bones. Out in the kitchen, they eat sandwiches in silence until Jason notices how tired Nico is.

"You need to sleep," he starts. "You haven't slept in a real bed since this happened. If it makes you more comfortable, I can sleep on the couch." Nico shakes his head, rolling his eyes because Jason is an _idiot_ , and silently walks to the bedroom. He crawls into bed in his sweatpants, waiting for Jason to lie down next to him.

On a whim, Nico moves closer, laying his head in the crook of Jason's shoulder while the Jason wraps his arms around him. The restlessness in Nico fades away and he can feel himself at ease, letting sleep claim him.

Jason's arms are still around him in the morning. It's different, since he put them there when they were still awake. He did it on purpose.

"Good morning," Jason mumbles, still half asleep. He blinks wearily, looking down at Nico, who's looking up at him. Jason pulls his arms away from Nico, murmuring an apology. "Will you be okay on your own today? I'm already late for work," he adds, glancing at his phone.

Nico nods, and Jason realizes he hasn't said a word to him in three days. Jason slips out of bed, padding to the bathroom. He's rushed, and Nico hears him leave the house minutes later.

Drinking lukewarm coffee, Nico grabs a book and reads on the couch this time. He gets a text from Jason halfway into the book, one that says, "please find something to eat, it's really unhealthy when you hide away in that room".

Nico spends the next two hours reading idly, not really taking in what's happening but distracting his mind, and before he knows it, Jason is home.

"Hi," Jason says, quietly, draping his jacket over the chair. "Did you eat?" Nico shakes his head, putting the book on the table next to him. His answer makes Jason frown, but only just.

"We can talk if you want," Nico tells him, the first thing he's said all day. His voice is hoarse, scratching at his throat.

"Okay," Jason replies, coming to sit next to Nico on the couch. He pauses before starting, "We can't just ignore the bond." He's quiet, almost cautious.

Nico stares at him blankly. "Why not? I was miserable before and I really don't think that's going to change now."

Jason makes a frustrated noise in the back of his throat. "We can't be miserable forever, Nico. That's not how this works.

"I can," Nico argues, getting angrier. "I have been and I'm doing just fine, thanks."

"Your actions have consequences that affect the both of us, you know," Jason retorts. "How much sleep do you think I've been getting, knowing that you're feeling horrible everyday?" Nico flinches back. Jason sighs, sounding extremely tired as he says, "I can't go into this knowing that you're heartbroken and hurting. That's what makes me miserable." His eyes flutter shut as he leans his head against the back of the couch.

"I'm sorry," Nico says, his voice just a croak.

"All I'm saying is that we can try to make this work," Jason replies.

Playing with the hem of his sweatshirt, Nico stays quiet for a few moments, breaking the silence to say, "I've never had to deal with this before."

Jason snorts a laugh, his mouth a grin as he says, "Yeah, me either." The smile fades as he continues, "That doesn't mean we can just give up, though."

Nico thinks back to what Hazel said, remembering that he can trust Jason. "You're right," Nico tells him, reluctantly. Then, "I'm sorry."

"Me, too," Jason returns. He moves his hand forward, resting on top of Nico's. "We'll get through this."

Nico thinks he can _maybe_ believe him.

Miraculously, the next three days go fine, nothing bad happens. Nico sees Hazel and goes out to lunch with Bianca while Jason's working. He mostly lies around, waiting for Jason to get home not out of anxiety but out of excitement to see Jason.

Every time the door opens and Jason walks in, his heart leaps.

The best part is that he doesn't get panicked about the bond. Nico's almost comfortable with the fact that he and Jason are soulmates.

Then, Sunday night happens, and he's _terrified_. They've already eaten dinner, and Nico knows that he has to tell him about the rings tonight, knows that if he doesn't Hades will ask him about it.

"Are you alright?" asks Jason, putting the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. He turns to Nico standing in the doorway of the kitchen, arching an eyebrow. Nico swallows hard, nodding.

"Yeah, I just--" he starts, stammering, thinking half-heartedly, _better now than never_. "Persephone came by the other day, actually. She gave me something." His hands tremble as he reaches for the small black box on the counter, tucked away. He holds it out helplessly to Jason, waiting for him to take it.

"What is it?" Jason asks, opening it. He stills, breathing out, "Oh."

"Is it okay?" Nico questions, frantically. "She said we could wait until we're ready, but neither of our parents are going to want to put this off for much longer. It's not their decision, but I think they have some say, seeing as my dad bought our house and the rings and he'll probably pay for the wedding, too--"

"It's fine," Jason interrupts. "It's fine, Nico, and who cares what they think? In the end, it's our decision. We can wait as long as we want; we'll definitely wait until you're ready."

"Until _I'm_ ready?" Nico asks, almost exasperated. "This is about you, too. What about when you're ready?"

Jason sighs, leaning back against the counter. "I'm really not against being married to you. We could sign the papers and exchange rings tomorrow, if you want. It doesn't matter to me."

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" Nico can feel himself beginning to get uneasy, he can feel anxiety making itself at home deep within his chest. "Why are you so indifferent about this?"

"God, Nico, I'm not _indifferent_ \--" Jason stops, running his hands through his hair. "We'll wait until you're ready," he says, and then he's gone, shutting the door to the bedroom behind him.

Nico feels helpless, standing in the middle of the kitchen, so he turns, shutting himself in the spare room and sitting in the chair, drawing his knees up to his chest.

Jason's always been patient and reassuring and _kind_ , he's never walked out like that, he's never just left in the middle of an argument. Especially one of that much importance. And what if Jason just thinks there's no use in waiting, because they'll still be bonded in the end, so why not marry each other now? What if he thinks they have no choice?

They don't have a choice, they really don't, but Nico would at least like Jason to marry him because he likes him, not because they're stuck together.

Nico knows he's overthinking things, he knows he should stop but he can't, so for the rest of the night, he lets himself panic about what's going to happen.

*

Oddly enough, the next time he sees Jason, Nico is half-asleep on the couch, waiting for him to get home. It's just hours before midnight, but it was too weird laying in their cold bed alone.

Jason steps inside, toeing off his shoes as his eyes settle on Nico. "Hi," he says, voice gone quiet. "You didn't have to wait up for me, you know."

"I know," Nico replies. He follows Jason down the hall, stopping him with a hand to his wrist before Jason shuts himself in the bedroom. "Listen, I'm--"

Jason cuts him off, saying, "I'm sorry about yesterday." He pauses, trying to read the emotions that flicker in Nico's eyes. "It's not that I'm indifferent, I swear, it's not." Nico tries to nod. "Nico, I just--It wouldn't matter to me when we get married. I love you, and I'll still love you in two weeks, and in two months, and in two years. Nothing is going to change that."

It's late, and apparently Nico's filter has gone to shit, because he says, "No, you don't." He starts to get angrier, forming his argument in his head. "You think you do, because you're just doing what the bond tells you, but you don't love me. You don't _actually_ love me."

Jason laughs, the sound bitter and humorless. "How would you know?" he snaps. "You can't tell me how I feel, Nico, that's not up for you to decide."

"Sure I can," Nico retorts, anger lacing his voice.

"You won't just fucking listen," Jason says. "It's not the bond. I've loved you since before all of this happened, when you were just Hazel's little brother, just a kid with lanky limbs and messy hair who looked lost and didn't know what to do with himself. I've loved you since I saw your eyes follow Percy around the room like he was the only one in it, and I knew that I was in love with you the day I realized I wished you looked at me like that," Jason finishes. "So don't tell me it's the bond."

Nico still has a scowl on his face, but he surges towards Jason, pressing their lips together and tightening his hands in Jason's shirt.

Jason makes a surprised noise, hands coming up to rest on the crook Nico's neck. Their mouths move against each other, Nico parting his lips to let Jason deepen the kiss. Nico tugs at Jason's lower lip, drawing a groan out of him.

Moving to Nico's neck, Jason places open-mouthed kisses against the soft skin there. He sucks a bruise on Nico's neck and Nico gasps, fingers once again tightening in Jason's crumpled shirt.

When Jason shifts his hips, Nico lets out a low sound from the back of his throat, and their franticness and impulsiveness dissipate. Movements start to slow until Nico pulls back, looking wide-eyed at Jason with red, bitten lips.

"We don't have to," Jason says, voice sounding wrecked. Nico nods, still staring. "We don't have to do anything you don't want," he clarifies.

Swallowing hard, Nico finds his voice. "Or," Nico starts, pointedly rolling his hips against Jason's. "We could do something I _do_ want."

Grinning, Jason asks, "And what is it that you want?" Nico kisses him instead of answering, mouth pliant under Jason's. He steps forward, pressing Nico against the wall and tilting their heads, gaining better access to Nico's mouth.

Jason brings his hands to the hem of Nico's shirt, slipping under the fabric to smooth along the planes of Nico's stomach. He's lean, with barely-there muscle and pointy bones. Nico lets Jason keep kissing him, bringing his hand up to short blond hair and _tugging_ , which earns him a moan from Jason.

Nico breaks the kiss to say, "Maybe we should get out of the hallway," against Jason's lips. Jason looks reluctant to pull away, but he does, lacing his fingers with Nico's to walk to the bedroom.

Miraculously, Nico feels no anxiety at all. He tugs Jason's shirt off, running his hands over the smooth skin until Jason does the same, tossing Nico's shirt on the floor.

After pressing another kiss to Jason's lips, Nico moves them towards the bed, hovering over Jason once they're both lying down. Jason finds that being kissed under Nico's weight is a lot different, but in a very, very good way. He can feel Nico's hardness through the rough fabric of their jeans, and every movement makes heat pool in his abdomen.

Nico reaches down to fumble with Jason's fly, so Jason lifts his hips, trying to convey how much he likes that idea by helping. He kicks off his jeans until he's clad in boxers, tented by his erection.

Jason pulls off Nico's jeans, too, tossing them on the floor with the rest of their clothes. The only thing between them is layers of fabric, and that thought sends pleasure straight to his cock.

Nico groans into their kiss, grinding his hips down against Jason, who lets out a breathy moan at the friction. With hesitant fingers, Nico slips them beneath the waistband of Jason's boxers.

"Is this okay?" Nico asks between kisses, pulling back to rest his forehead on Jason's, who nods, frantically. Nico tugs the boxers down, and they're added to the pile on the floor, where his own join shortly after.

Jason barely has time to note that Nico's beautiful, especially his cock, flushed pink and curving slightly.

Once Jason wraps a hand around both of their cocks, Nico lets out a sound between a whine and a whimper. He thrusts into Jason's loose fist, head resting on Jason's shoulder where his eyes are shut tight.

Jason spits twice in his hand once the stroking starts to become uncomfortable, but then his fingers are back around them, and Nico's going to come any second, it's going to be over quickly. He tells Jason this, and the response he gets is, "Jesus _fuck_."

With a groan of Jason's name, he spills over Jason's fist, panting against the skin on Jason's shoulder. Not much later, Jason comes with a moan. Nico rolls to his side so he's not lying on top of Jason, and he lets his eyes flutter shut, basking in the afterglow.

Moving to get something to clean them up with, Jason kisses Nico, and then again, and only then does he grab a shirt off the floor, wiping off their stomachs.

Jason pulls the blankets over them, tucking Nico against his side and wrapping an arm around him. Nico's breathing evens out and his heart calms down, while Jason is still wide awake.

Nico hears Jason murmur something, but he's asleep before he figures out what it is.

The rest of the week unfolds, and Nico has, admittedly, never been happier.

Everything figures itself out, just like Persephone said. Jason invites his mother over, which goes better than they thought it would. Hazel, Frank, and Leo come to lunch with Bianca and Zoe, and for once Nico doesn't feel left out, he feels like he belongs, especially with Jason at his side.

The kisses they share at night are both intimate and desperate, with just enough tongue and the perfect amount of teeth that makes Nico gasp every time.

Before Jason leaves for work, Nico presses him against the front door, kissing him like his life depends on it and sends him on his way. That night, Jason sucks Nico's cock, and Nico notices that Jason is very good at this, he must have done this before, but the jealousy doesn't last long, not when his cock hits the back of Jason's throat and he's coming.

The next day, Nico finds himself sucking a bruise above Jason's collarbone, too high to be covered with a shirt, and he smirks, knowing that everyone will know Jason's his. He tells Jason this, and when Jason asks for fingers, Nico doesn't even falter, just hurries to find the lube.

A morning not long after Jason started casually saying that he loves Nico, on his way out the door and before he gets home and holding each other post-orgasm in bed, Jason fiddles with the black box that's been tucked away on the counter.

"Something wrong?" Nico asks, trying to work Jason's coffee machine. He arches an eyebrow, nodding at the small case in Jason's hands.

"No, I was just thinking," Jason answers, setting down the box to help Nico with the machine. He presses a few buttons and it whirs to life, beeping and making the coffee.

"About?" Nico presses, stepping forward to kiss Jason before pulling back, looking at him expectantly.

Jason looks nervous, and that doesn't happen often, so Nico's first instinct is to be concerned. He pauses, drawing in a deep breath before starting, "I'd like to wear the ring." Nico nods, looking back and forth from the ring to Jason. "That's okay?" Jason asks, eyebrows pulled together in concern.

Again, Nico nods, responding with, "That's okay." He steps around Jason, pouring his coffee.

The rest of the morning goes smoothly, and Jason kisses Nico before leaving, murmuring, "I love you," against his lips, then walking out the door.

Nico can't help but smile, being drawn back to the open box with the single ring on the counter. He fiddles with it, slipping the ring on, feeling the comfortable, reassuring weight on his finger. Taking it off, he puts it back in the box and chooses to ignore how much he wants to feel the ring on his finger again.

The day passes by rather quickly, and when Jason's home, he looks exhausted. He gives Nico a weak smile as he comes in, brushing a kiss to Nico's temple before moving to the living room.

Nico sits curled up beside him, looking at Jason with concern. "Long day?" he asks, trailing his finger over Jason's collarbone, brushing the mark he made. Jason nods, his eyes shut and head leaning back against the couch.

Swallowing down whatever panic he feels building up, Nico says, "I love you," and he means it. His voice is quiet and only a little shaky, but he sounds sure and certain. Even though it was hard to get out, it's worth it for the look in Jason's eyes when he opens them.

Jason smiles, his grin wide, and Nico believes him when he says that everything will be okay.


End file.
